Toll roads in Norway – How to save money on your trip
Even though Norway has a long-standing tradition of charging road tolls, you can still get to most places without driving on toll roads. All it takes is a bit of planning and some extra patience while driving – but what you get in return is both saving money and seeing more of Norway’s incredible scenery! Read our guide to the Norwegian toll road system – and how to get around it – here.
For several decades, Norway has charged road tolls from both locals, tourists and commercial vehicles. The income has contributed to the construction and maintenance of the country’s road grid, and today, the number of toll booths in the country has passed 400.
The rates are set by the local authorities in the region in question. In addition to regular road tolls, some areas have rush-hour surcharges, so if you want to avoid paying the tolls, it’s worth your while to do a bit of thorough planning – of routes and driving times – before you head out on your Norwegian vacation.
Every toll booth registers all passing vehicles by use of cameras, whereupon the charges are gathered in the central AutoPASS system (the automated system for collection of road and ferry tolls in Norway) and invoiced to the owner of each car.
You can find a map of all the country’s toll booths at https://bomstasjon.no, as well as information on their current rates and whether or not they apply rush-hour surcharges.
You can also use the road toll calculator here to find out what a certain route might cost.
Norwegian road toll rates
The road toll you will be paying depends on your vehicle. First of all, heavier and bigger vehicles will pay a higher rate than smaller ones – the exception being motorhomes that pay the same rates as regular cars.
The most important rule regarding the size of the Norwegian toll roads is that if you are driving an environmentally friendly car, in many places you will pay a lower rate. Typically, vehicles will be divided into zero-emission, diesel, hybrids and petrol/gas/ethanol, etc., and as an example, electric vehicles pay a maximum of 70% of the road toll.
Getting the lower rates, especially the discounts for electric vehicles, requires pre-registration for an AutoPASS toll tag, so make sure to register well in advance to have time to receive your tag in the mail before you set out for your trip.
If you are driving in a motorhome, be aware that you MUST pre-register for an AutoPASS toll tag in order to pay the lower small-vehicle rates at the Norwegian toll booths – if you do not have the tag, you will be charged the heavy-vehicle rates.
Is there a way to avoid paying the Norwegian highway tolls?
The short answer to this is: no and yes.
If you drive on a toll road, your vehicle registration number will be automatically registered, and you will receive an invoice, no matter whether you have pre-registered or not. (If you have not registered online, you will receive the invoice in the mail after your trip).
In most places, though, it is possible to plan a route that lets you avoid most toll roads, as long as you are willing to drive a little extra distance to get to your destination. (Bear in mind, though, that depending on your fuel type, the extra fuel expenses may surpass the road toll itself).
Below, we offer a number of tips for avoiding the major toll roads when arriving to Norway in one of our ports of call.
Exploring the Telemark without toll expenses
If you arrive to Kristiansand with Fjord Line, it is in fact possible to get far into the beautiful nature area Telemark without paying road toll. If your destination is Vrådal, driving on the highway will cost you a little over NOK 30 and take around 2 hours and 53 minutes. If you spend just four more minutes in your car, you can drive along Riksveg 41 instead – and avoid road tolls altogether.
If your destination is Rauland, you can save a little over NOK 30 if you choose to drive along Riksveg 9 instead of E18. And as an added bonus, this route is actually a couple of minutes faster.
If you are planning a trip to the Gaustablikk or Gaustatoppen mountain, you can save more than NOK 70 in road tolls by spending less than 25 more minutes driving.
Save money on your Western Norway adventure
If you are planning a vacation near Bergen in Fjord Norway, you can save a lot in road tolls by planning a route that avoids the major roads. If your destination is Flåm or Myrkdalen, it may be hard to avoid road tolls altogether, but you can avoid some of the toll booths along the way.
The same goes if Stavanger is the starting point for your vacation in Norway and you wish to drive to beautiful Sirdal or experience the majestic Hardangerfjord. It will be difficult to avoid toll roads altogether, but you can still save a lot of money by choosing minor roads and spend a little more time driving.
More tips for paying (or avoiding) the Norwegian road tolls
- You can read more about the AutoPASS system and how to register for payment in our travel article here.
- You can find current rates for all Norway’s toll booths here
- You can calculate road tolls for your different route options here (be aware you only have a limited number of free daily searches)
Let Fjord Line bring you to your Norwegian road trip
Fjord Line takes you straight to your Norwegian adventure – we offer a number of car and motorhome packages, no matter whether you wish to explore the areas of southern or western Norway near our ports of call Kristiansand, Stavanger and Bergen, or you are planning the ultimate Norwegian road trip to northern Norway, the Arctic Circle and the midnight sun.
You can find our current package deals here: